The EU and ASEAN have a lot in common. Our shared history dates back for centuries and today, together, we represent the most mature and the most promising economies in the world. As we work together to address global challenges through a multilateral approach, we are both committed to regional integration as the most effective way to build stability and to reach prosperity. We are partners for the future.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (14 July 2017) — Unabated climate change would bring devastating consequences to countries in Asia and the Pacific, which could severely affect their future growth, reverse current development gains, and degrade quality of life, according to a report produced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).

There is agreement in the scientific community that the global food system will experience unprecedented pressure in the coming decades – demographic changes, urban growth, environmental degradation, increasing disaster risk, food price volatility, and climate change will all affect food security patterns.

Apart from being prone to seasonal floods and storms, most ASEAN member states straddle the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. However, compared to the relentless onslaught of natural calamities in the region, the development of ASEAN’s disaster mitigation mechanisms has been sluggish, if not long overdue.

Asia-Pacific actions to address climate change will have global impact

Jakarta -- Countries in Asia and the Pacific are at a crossroads and must now strike a balance between rising prosperity and rising emissions. Their success or failure will have repercussions worldwide, predicts a new report released today by the United Nations Development Programme.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $21.72 billion in financing operations last year, a 14.5% increase on ADB’s previous year’s financing, according to its 2011 Annual Report, released ahead of the organization’s 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, to be held from 2 to 5 May in Manila, Philippines.

Thailand is no stranger to natural disasters. The country has a long history of drought and flood cycles in seasonal variance. Flooding occurs every year in the Chao Phraya River Basin. Tropical storm cycles come from the east through Laos and Vietnam and touchdown in the northern parts of the country where water collects and flows downstream into the basin. With a changing climate and increasing variance and severity of weather, events similar to this flood may no longer be only 50 years in frequency.